Google Launches Offline Google Calendar

In another competitive bid against Microsoft and Yahoo, Google lets users access Calendar for Google Apps without being connected to the Web. Coming a week after the launch of Gmail offline access, the new development makes Google Calendar potentially more useful to enterprise users.

Google
took its offline activities one step further on Feb. 5 with the enabling of
offline access for Calendar for Google Apps, which will allow users to check
their schedule and events even while not connected to the Internet.
The offline calendar is available to users of Google Apps Standard Edition,
as well as Premier and Education Edition; the latter two groups will need to
have their domain administrator activate the offline option by checking the box
next to "Turn on new features" on the settings page.

Last week, Google announced the launch
of Gmail's offline access, a move seemingly tailored to pull enterprise
users away from Microsoft and Yahoo, both of which had previously offered
offline-ready e-mail.

The ability to access calendar events without being connected to the
Internet is potentially vital for business users, who may need the information
while on the road and away from wireless hot spots, or in unwired office
spaces.
It is of particular use to the "road warrior" species of business travelers,
who can find themselves stuck for hours at a time on airplanes with a need to
access data, despite a lack of Internet connectivity. Traditionally, this
frequent-flier demographic has tended to fall back on Microsoft's Outlook
client, which has offline functionality.
In offline mode, Calendar for Google Apps allows users to view events, but
not edit them. Clicking the "Offline Beta" link beside the account username
will activate the offline synchronization process.
As with the offline version of Gmail, users must install Google Gears browser technology
before they can use the calendar offline.
Joyce Sohn, marketing manager for Google Apps, noted one potential benefit
of an accessible-everywhere calendar on the Official Google Enterprise Blog:
massive savings in paper. "You don't have to print out calendars the night
before a trip."

Nicholas Kolakowski is a staff editor at eWEEK, covering Microsoft and other companies in the enterprise space, as well as evolving technology such as tablet PCs. His work has appeared in The Washington Post, Playboy, WebMD, AARP the Magazine, AutoWeek, Washington City Paper, Trader Monthly, and Private Air. He lives in Brooklyn, New York.